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outdoorplayr
May 19, 2006, 7:31 PM
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OK, so there is a thread about this topic already, but it is 3 years old and I'd like to hear some new perspectives if anyone is willing to share.
after reading the older thread here on RC.com and doing some other research, I've begun to think that some of the things i struggle with (climbing and otherwise) could be related to the birth control that I'm on (Tri-Nessa). mainly those things are a lack of energy/endurance, over sensitivity emotionally, moodiness, difficulty in weight loss. since the onset of these things was never really to obvious, i never attributed them to the pill. but after my reading, I'm just beginning to wonder if I'd feel better and be happier off of it... and of course it is really confusing when recent studies are saying that the pill has not been shown to cause any weight gain at all. anyone have any experiences, thoughts to share?
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dukeandbeads
May 20, 2006, 1:49 AM
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There are lots of different OCP formulations out there, and not all will give you the same side effects. Yasmin is a brand that's different from the rest, and may not give you weight gain, while controlling acne, moods, etc. Sometimes the key is changing from a triphasic to a monophasic pill (i.e. a steady amount of both hormones every day, as opposed to differeing amounts each week.)
It's often a trial and error kind of thing, to find just the right pill for your body.
Anne
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mtnchik
May 21, 2006, 4:31 PM
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from my experience, i was miserable on birth control pills...i don't know how my husband dealt with it. i've been off of them for about a year and a half now, and i'm a much happier/ less moody person.
i'm definitely an advocate for not taking them, but that's just because i had a bad experience with them. i'm sure that if you speak to a doctor there are some types that will give better results then others with less side effects.
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nola_angie
May 22, 2006, 3:55 AM
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I've been on Ortho-tricycline for a while now, and it works okay for me. There was a period of adjustment, tho. After a few months, the moodiness went away ( it's still there to an extent, but I can talk myself out of the stupid over reactions. Just write down your 'issues' and address them when your in a better place mentally) and I got my energy levels back. Some of that was diet, tho. Cutting out processed food, fried food helped abate that problem qickly. Good luck. There's a lot of info, yes, but if you need to, go have a consult with your gynie. Even after a good long talk, you still need to be prepared for some trial and error.
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iamthewallress
May 22, 2006, 7:25 AM
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In reply to: After a few months, the moodiness went away
Sounds worse than celebacy! I've been on the pill before and I had a similar experience. It also made my boobs bigger...something that most girls with my giant barely-A's would be into, but I actually wasn't. Didn't feel like me, and I thought I looked heavier. The combination of physical and emotional side effects made it all feel pretty toxic to me, so I lost interest in using hormones to keep things non-procreative.
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acacongua
May 22, 2006, 10:57 AM
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Yasmin is predominantly progesterone which also means it's a diuretic. However, those studies are BS. I constantly eat while on that pill and I even woke up in the middle of the night many times for that early morning snack.
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clee03m
May 22, 2006, 12:37 PM
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I gained 30 lbs while I was on the pill. Who knows if that was from my metabolism just slowing down or aging or the pill.... Well, I am off now, and I have slowly lost some of the weight. I also felt depressed, but again, I don't know if it was entirely the pill. But I feel less depressed now. So, for me personally, I am not going back. While there no data regarding the pill, depo shot definately has shown to increase weight on the average.
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justthemaid
May 22, 2006, 3:19 PM
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I took them for years with virtually no side effects other than some weight gain, but as I got older, I started having major problems with extreme irritability, and major anger-management issues. It's like I was possessed.
My doctor switched me to new types several times , but it wasn't helping.
The day I broke a chair over the kitchen table because I couldn't find some paperwork was the last day I took birth control pills.
When I stopped, I calmed down considerably (much to the relief of my poor BF), and lost some weight.
I wasn't climbing much at the time, so I'm not sure how it affected my athletic performance.
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outdoorplayr
May 22, 2006, 3:51 PM
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thanks for all the great insight! those of you who have decided against the pill, what methods have you found that work for you instead?
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climbingbetty22
May 22, 2006, 6:25 PM
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I'm on an tri-cyclic BCP. Haven't had an problems with weight gain; I've actaully lost weight since being on the pill. though I would say that is due to my being more vigilent about what I eat and exercising. I haven't felt that it has negatively impacted my climbing in anyway. The only two side-effects I would say that I suffer from right now is that I notice I tend to get a little bit more emotionally about little stuff. This isn't really too bad and I've gotten better about discerning when I am over-reacting, but I notice that if I am stressed or sleep-deprived I have a bit less control over it. The second side-effect is decreased sex drive. Just not as interested as I have been in the past. I've read and heard plenty of news stories that many women are complaining of this as a big side effect of the Pill. Personally I think its ironic that you take a pill so that in theory, you can have more sex and in the end that same people makes you want to have less sex- go figure!!!
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comet
May 22, 2006, 6:42 PM
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I need the hormones to keep my cycle anything close to normal, so I use a nuvaring, which I love. I don't get emotional the way I did on ortho tricyclin (worst) or yasmin, probably at least in part because it's a steady dose of hormones--I was not good at all at taking a pill at the same time every day. It has not caused any weight gain. But, IMO, the best birth control advice:
Dating sex is latex sex, married sex is naked sex.
Use condoms.
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kuan
May 23, 2006, 6:44 AM
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I second the NuvaRing - it's the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!
k.
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outdoorplayr
May 26, 2006, 4:11 PM
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thank-you everyone who has taken the time to post and thanks to those who PM'd me personally. i feel so much more prepared to talk with my doctor from what i've learned here as well as other research i've done.
speaking of which, i found this really wonderful site which was very informative for me... it has threads relating to many contraceptive issues. so i thought i'd share for the benfit of anyone who's questioning or wants more information from other women about issues with and methods for contraception.
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/forum/7.html
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lisae
May 30, 2006, 5:40 PM
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In reply to: I'm now considering an IUD - one without hormones. Does anyone have any experience with these?
I used an IUD for years, without any problems other than slightly heavier periods.
lisae
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madgey28
Jun 1, 2006, 6:22 PM
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I just figured I would throw my two cents in on this one.
First of all, make sure to be aware of all of the side effects involved in birth control, whether it is the pill, the shot, the patch, etc. I was on the pill for four years (I had my "type" switched about a year into it to change the hormones from a higher amount of estrogen to a lower amount). I always knew that there were side effects, but didn't really worry about them (I was a healthy athlete and was 21-25 while I was on it), BUT...ended up having to have shoulder surgery. Two days after the surgery, I noticed my hand was swollen and called the doctor who told me to go to the ER. They discovered I had a blot clot in my arm and was forced to stay in the hospital for 4 days and learn how to give myself shots of blood thinners (you have shots for 10 days and then switch to a pill form)
After tons and tons of blood tests to rule out a blood disorder, it was decided that my blood clot was caused by being on the pill. I am now no longer allowed to be on any estrogen form of birth control. AND...if you are one of the unfortunate ones who ends up with a clot, not only are they life-threatening, but after having one, your chances of another increase like 100x over someone who has not had one.
After a year of no birth control, I discussed it with my doctor and went to an IUD. There are two different types, the copper IUD and the Mirena (I think it is a plastic one). I have the Mirena. Unlike the copper IUD, with the Mirena, your period almost disappears (and for some women, it disappears all together). I love it. And because it is progesterone, the risk of the blood clot almost disappears.
Sorry if this got a little long winded. I just really like to try to warn those on the pill that there are more side effects to be aware of. I was/am a huge proponent of birth control, but make sure you know what the risks are and what the symptoms of those side effects might be. Like I said, before my clot, I was aware that side effects existed, but didn't' think it could happen to me. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I don't want anyone else to have to deal with the same thing too.
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clausti
Jun 3, 2006, 9:49 PM
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lessee.... othro-tricyclin vs ortho tricyclin lo vs yasmin vs. nuvaring.
i have tried a whole bunch of different ones due to the fact that i get viciously sick if i am not on hormones. like in the "wow less than 2% of women usually have those symptoms" kind of sick. there was one in HS before the ortho but i cant rem the name of it.
Nuvaring is so far my favorite by a lot, but i think about food all the time. seriously. even when i am not hungry. and i'm hungry a lot. and my boobs are noticably bigger. they were sore [really sore, 13 year old sore] for like 2 months when i first started taking it and at the end my boobs were a whole cup size bigger. other than my boobs, though, i'm not really much heavier. 5 lbs maybe. and i havent dieted. i just think about food all the time. BUT YOU DONT HAVE TO REMEMBER IT. you remember it twice a month, when you take it out and put it in, my periods are light, they are predictable, i dont throw up, and it doesnt make me break out.
great for road tripping.
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spunkyredraider
Jun 4, 2006, 2:11 AM
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I'm on Ovcon its a very low dose birth control pill, and I haven't gained any weight and am in generally a better mood.
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climbingbetty22
Jun 4, 2006, 3:47 AM
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So for you gals using the Nuvaring-- this is an awkward question, but how does it work? How does it stay in? How do you get it back out again? And perhaps the most burning question, how does it stay put during sex? :oops:
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comet
Jun 9, 2006, 4:35 PM
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It sits up around your cervix (hard to explain without a picture, but it seats the same way a diaphragm does). You can't feel it, although I have had a boyfriend mention that he could during sex, in a good way. To get it out, you just hook a finger through the ring and pull. Vaginas are not that big, it's not going to get lost in there :)
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zenelky
Jun 14, 2006, 2:44 PM
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I'm on the Depo-Provera shot. The three month shot and I absolutely love it....mostly. Depo is not good for long term use (like 2+ years) and I know that my first 3 months were horrible with spotting and cramps. I'd been on the pill for about 3 years, but it wasn't abnormal for me to forget it, then I moved to the patch for about 2 years. After about a year and a half the patch started to really irritate my skin and would leave red, bumpy squares wherever I put it and my family has a history of blood-clots so I kinda freaked. This is why I tried the shot. After my second shot I stopped getting my period AND cramps. I also lost about 15 lbs within the first 9 months of changing to the shot. I believe this had to do with the extra weight that other forms of b.c. can cause (the shot may cause weight gain, but for me, it did not). The only bad thing is that it has disrupted my sleep patterns. So when I'm getting toward the end of my 3 months or for the first few weeks after I get it, I can't sleep very well at night and tend to nap during the day. Personally, I'll deal with that to not have to carry tampons into the back country or be worried about if I'm leaking, where/how I'm going to change things, and how dirty you feel for that week (especially since it's usually the same week you have a big climbing or packing trip planned).
Good luck!
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bribak
Jul 1, 2006, 7:12 AM
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i've been on the pill for about three years now. I get cramps that only a prescription of vicadin can cure. needless, i HATE, i can not reiterate taht enough, taking medicine everyday. vitamins i can do, but i hate meds. i don't get my period b/c well, i can't deal with everyday life otherwise. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas besides any form of b.c. to subside these cramps...anything. the idea of b.c. has always bothered me but without another option this is how i have to go. I will have to agree with the loss of sex drive, I have also found that I am tired easily and i eat more often. But weight gain has never been an issue. anyways, if anyone has an idea about another way to get rid of these cramps and drop the b.c. id love to hear about it.
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madgey28
Jul 1, 2006, 1:22 PM
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You of course would have to talk to your doctor about it of course, but I wonder if the IUD would be an option for you. There is no pill to take and the device itself is good for 5 years. From how it was explained to me, it thins the lining of the uterus so that no implantation can occur. (now remember that is not the overall technical stuff and I am definitely not a doctor or anything). I have had the IUD for nearly a year, and I have almost completely lost my "friend" that visits me once a month. From my understanding, some women lose it all together (on the Mirena - the version I have...the copper one makes your period much heavier I have been told). From the research I did on it, some doctors are hestitant about giving it to their clients, but you would have to check with your doctor. Feel free to drop me an email if you have more questions about my experiences with it.
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bribak
Jul 1, 2006, 1:27 PM
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awesome. thanks for the info! aren't they kind of spendy?? (i can't remember if i heard this....)
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maculated
Jul 6, 2006, 3:53 AM
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Glad to hear nuvaring sounds so good. I'm pretty excited about it.
I am just so . . . creeped out by birth control. It is so contrary to natural I wonder how it adversely affects us in the long run.
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acacongua
Jul 6, 2006, 11:59 AM
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It's also contrary to natural that many are reaching their 30s without one pregnancy (I'm speaking biologically, not culturally).
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